Dreams Awaken in Your Land Chapter Five: The Night of Retribution—Zhu Sheng’s Fury and Zichen’s Demise

After returning from the Sacred Temple of Kun, Ji Shi once again devoted himself to his daily cultivation, while Zi Chen continued, as always, in a life of wine, song, and revelry, utterly unaware that danger was drawing near.

On the sixteenth day of the eleventh month in the eighth year of Jianning, the sky was a leaden gray, and a fine drizzle fell in a desolate mist. It felt like something ill-omened was about to happen. Seeing such weather, Ji Shi felt utterly dispirited, but he still continued to ponder the Heavenly Kun Qi-Attraction Art and the Kun Sword. "I must strive to reach the Separation Realm by next spring. Only then can some of the plans that follow be realized. I wonder how that birdman Zi Chen is doing. Tomorrow I should buy something good and go visit him!" Ji Shi already seemed to be imagining Zi Chen’s shameless expression for the next day.

At that moment, however, the Zhu residence was wrapped in a solemn and grave atmosphere. Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin sat in the seat of honor, looking at the man in black before him. "Reversed Chicken Stomach, this time you absolutely cannot make a single mistake. Do not let anyone else notice. Understand?"

"This subordinate understands. It’s just... why must you capture that Zi Chen? Wouldn’t that offend the King of the South River?"

"Do what you are supposed to do. Mind nothing else!" Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin said with displeasure.

"This subordinate knows his error!" Under Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin’s overwhelming presence, even Reversed Chicken Stomach, who was already in the mid-stage of the Rain-Sifting Realm, could not stop trembling.

"It seems the master’s strength has improved again. I’m afraid he is only one step away from reaching the Outward-Manifestation stage." As Reversed Chicken Stomach walked, he thought to himself. Soon he arrived at Longteng Inn, where Zi Chen lived.

Reversed Chicken Stomach concealed himself in the shadows of the inn, his gaze sharp as a falcon’s, fixed on the far end of the street. Night was as dark as ink, and the rain had already ceased. The street was empty, with only the occasional beating of the watch drum breaking the dead silence. At last, a swaying figure in red entered his sight. Zi Chen was humming a tune, his face flushed with drink. In a flash, Reversed Chicken Stomach darted forward soundlessly. The instant Zi Chen stepped over the inn’s threshold, he sprang out like a wraith in the dark.

Zi Chen sensed something amiss, and drunkenness was instantly replaced by terror. He threw a punch in haste, sword light flashing like lightning, but only saw Reversed Chicken Stomach’s figure drifting like a ghost, each move and strike precisely sealing off every path of retreat. After several exchanges, Zi Chen’s strength began to fade. In the end, Reversed Chicken Stomach struck the side of his neck with a palm, and he collapsed limply to the ground, unconscious.

"He has some skill after all. As expected of the King of the South River’s adopted son. But once he is in the master’s hands, who knows what his fate will be?" With that, he carried Zi Chen back.

"Master, Zi Chen has been brought here!" Reversed Chicken Stomach looked toward Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin in the seat of honor. Even though the night was deep, he still had not retired.

"Whatever method you use, wake him up for me now. I have something to say to him."

"Yes!" Reversed Chicken Stomach gave Zi Chen a palm strike. "Still not awake?" He slapped him again. Still no response.

He let out a long sigh, glanced at Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin, and then began pounding Zi Chen with a flurry of fists. Under his continuous barrage, Zi Chen finally stirred groggily awake. Seeing that Zi Chen had awakened, Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin motioned for Reversed Chicken Stomach to withdraw, then turned to look at Zi Chen.

"What happened? Where is this? Why am I here?" Zi Chen asked in confusion. Suddenly, he remembered that he had been knocked unconscious on the street by a man in black. "This place is...?" Then he saw Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin seated in the honored position. "Oh, so it’s you, big brother. How did I end up here? Wasn’t I knocked out by a man in black?!"

Seeing the grinning Zi Chen, Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin’s face darkened. "Shut your mouth, brat. I brought you here today to give you an order!"

"An order? You were the one who captured me? If you had an order, why not just send someone to tell me? Why go to the trouble of bringing me all the way here?" At this moment, Zi Chen still thought Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin was joking with him.

"Enough nonsense. Leave Ji Shi at once. If I ever see you by his side again, you can go die!"

"???" Zi Chen was first stunned, then seemed to realize something. "You want to steal my Ji Shi beauty?!" he shouted.

"What do you mean your Ji Shi beauty? He is mine. I’ll just ask you one thing: do you agree or not?" Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin glared at Zi Chen furiously.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Ji Shi beauty belongs only to me. Don’t even think about touching my Ji Shi beauty!"

"You little punk, so you won’t take the toast, and now you want the forfeit, is that it? Since you refuse to leave my Ji Shi beauty, then go die!" With that, Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin punched Zi Chen.

Zi Chen, already grievously injured by Reversed Chicken Stomach, could not withstand the blow at all. After struggling for a moment, he lost his breath.

"Someone, take this Zi Chen to Master Jia in the imperial kitchen and tell him to make me a pot of rich broth. Simmer it for forty-nine full hours!"

"Yes!"

At that moment, Reversed Chicken Stomach came to the front hall, carried Zi Chen’s corpse to the great chopping board of the imperial kitchen, then went to Master Jia’s quarters and knocked on the door. Bang, bang, bang. "Master Jia, stop sleeping. The master has work for you."

"What kind of work is this, handing it to me so late at night? I’m really fed up!" Reversed Chicken Stomach immediately looked at him, and Master Jia broke into a cold sweat. "That was all a joke, hehe."

"Stop dawdling. The master wants you to use the ingredients on the chopping board to simmer a pot of broth. It must be cooked for forty-nine full hours. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Hm? What did you say?" Reversed Chicken Stomach asked, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. You go take care of other things first. I’ll handle it properly."

"Behave yourself. Think carefully about your own fate!"

"What kind of ingredients are these, and simmering for forty-nine hours? This can’t be for real..." Master Jia thought as he walked.

When he reached the imperial kitchen, he looked toward the chopping board. There lay a man in red.

"T-this isn’t Young Master Chi?" Only then did he understand what Reversed Chicken Stomach meant by thinking carefully about his own fate.

"Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin definitely won’t let this matter leak out. Then once I finish cooking, he’ll surely kill me. Could it be because I accidentally bumped into him this morning? What am I supposed to do now?"

While Master Jia was still locked in a battle of heaven and man, Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin had already drafted an invitation, inviting Ji Shi to come to the Zhu residence on the twenty-first day of the eleventh month, which was also the day of the winter solstice, to drink with him, and specifically telling him not to bring Zi Chen along.

"Reversed Chicken Stomach!"

"This subordinate is here!"

"Tomorrow, deliver this invitation to Young Master Ji’s home. Also, tell Master Jia that as long as he makes this soup properly, I will spare him."

"Very well, you may withdraw for now."

Watching the retreating figure of Reversed Chicken Stomach, Zhu Sheng Zhi Yin seemed lost in thought.